Diet patterns and environmental correlates to disease in pseudo exfoliation syndrome

Purpose: To evaluate the environmental conditions and diet patterns differences in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXF) or glaucoma (PXG) from different in districts of Eastern India
Methods: This cross sectional study included 81 PXF and 38 PXG patients (pseudoexfoliation defined as presence of dandruff like material on ocular structures with or without raised IOP and disc changes) screened in the outpatient department from 2011-2013. The patients were administered a questionnaire regarding their diet, oil used, occupation, smoking habits, details of regular coffee/tea intake, vegetarian/non-vegetarian status and main diet of daily regional food intake. The climatic details of the place of origin (at the district level) were accessed from available online database of the state government climate board (http://www.imdorissa.gov.in)and details retrieved included average rainfall days, maximum and minimum temperature, humidity and wind speeds. These cases were compared with 111 controls seen during the screening period.
Results: The climatic conditions were not statistically different in PXF patients and controls suggesting no difference in populations sampled from different regions among cases or controls. Majority of cases (PXF n=42) and PXG (n=31) were from regions with significantly higher maximum daily temperature (district Khorda, 27±1.60C) and were non-vegetarians (n=112) with more number of cases consuming fish in daily diet than controls (n=114). Those with PXG were associated with >coffee intake >3 cups and were residing in areas with higher maximum temperatures.
Conclusion: Cases with PXF/PXG in the State of Odisha in East India were non-vegetarians with maximum consumption of fish and >3 cups of coffee and belonged to regions with maximum daily temperature.